DR350 Resurrected
Mid-November my DR350 was transported to the Glaves Hospital. It suffered from neglect, sun scald, and depression. It was unhappy. It needed surgery.
"So, you leave me here all summer and fall to rot in the sun? I'm not talking to you."
"I'm sorry. I had no choice. Really, I did miss you. You can come home to Mamma now."
"I'm still not talking to you. And something's not right inside."
"You look terrible..... We have a bike gurney here to transport you to the Hospital. We will make you stronger, better, and, well, working. And you need a bath...."
It normally doesn't take four people to load this bike, but there were other things we were all doing that day, too. So little DR had plenty of hands to help it onto it's gurney. At the end of a very, very, very long day, the DR ended up safe and sound at the Glaves Hospital.
After things settled down, Paul discovered that the DR needed some heart work. After removing the carburetor, he pinpointed the issues, which were several, and some parts needed to be replaced.
I ordered a carb rebuild kit for the Mikuni flat slide carb TM33. In all, it wasn't expensive, but it took forever to arrive due to Holiday snail mail. In fact, I was worried it got lost in shipping. But the tracking info revealed it was delivered to the post office. Lisa, our wonderful postmistress searched everywhere and couldn't find it.
I began to panic. I mean, this is a matter of life and death: lost heart parts!!
We found the rebuild kit, hiding in between some magazines. I expected a box, or at least a larger package than what it was! It was smaller than a legal size envelope. Sheesh. They were hiding.
Paul and I finally set a date to do the heart surgery and transplant. I rode the Whee over and had a relaxing chat with Voni and Paul, and Voni kindly pumped coffee into me.
I had my first real and thorough Carburetors 101 class. Paul explained how carbs work, their systems, functions, parts, etc. Paul is an excellent teacher! And I can't thank him enough for his kindness and ability to so effectively explain and show how this heart works inside a bike!
"Paul, this is great! This carb is now my friend, instead of my enemy!"
And keeping it running smoothly with routine simple care is so simple, thus avoiding all the issues I've had with it over the past few years.
Oddly enough, one part seemed to be missing from the carburetor. The accelerator pump rod. It's a long rod, about two and 1/2 inches long and maybe 1/4" diameter, that..... should be there, but wasn't. As it was, the plastic shift broke while we were replacing a part near it. The plastic was brittle and it just... fell apart. But, that's a rather moot point anyway because the entire accelerator system won't work without the rod anyway.
Paul surmised that the rod has been off the carb since I've had the bike. And I haven't really noticed it lacking in power. I mean, when I twist that throttle open wide, it still takes off like a horse out of a gate.
"I'm not sure you would ever really need that extra boost anyway," Paul said.
"Well, Paul... there was the time when I was on a back country gravel road in Oregon, and there was this mean nasty cow that decided she was going to vent all her aggressions out on me. And she came at me full throttle on those stick legs of hers and I really did need it that time to get out of her way!!!"
"And..."
"I did get out of her way as fast as the bike was able to get me out. Thank goodness. But then any more power and I might find myself ending up in a bank of bentonite again when I got cocky one day with the throttle...."
"Uh huh..... I don't think you'll miss it."
I don't know if I will miss what I didn't have, but I need to find the parts anyway. Which seems to be elusive. I haven't found any of the accelerator pump parts for this carb yet!! I am, however, ordering another rebuild kit just to have on hand.
We reassembled the DR's heart and decided to call it a day. While looking at a few other things, which is a good time to do with the gas tank off, we noticed a few other things that needed attention.
A bracket on the frame rubbed two small slits in the gas tank. That would need fixing. And Paul took a file to the two burs on the bracket to avoid creating more holes. And some of the wire harness needed new tape.
Other than that, except for one turn signal that decided to try and run away, and the foam covering the middle of the handlebar that needs to be covered (the plastic sleeve rotted off from sun exposure), it just needs some TLC.
I got a pm one day that the DR was running. Perfectly. I was thrilled.
Hitching a ride with Pam at the office, I got dropped off at Paul and Voni's and donned the gear. The DR started up on first press of the magic button.
"How you feeling, there Junior?"
"Like a hundred bucks! Jump on and let's go!"
After hugs and thanks to Paul, I turned out of their driveway onto the highway. And there was Voni, with her camera.
Shoulda known.
All the photos here in this post are courtesy of Voni.
Many Powers of the Horse in My Bike
The Naughty Boy DR350 is back in business, running better than it has ever before! (Thanks to Paul Glaves magic hands) Just before darkness fell on the ranch road, several cottontails ran back and forth on the road. The DR navigated the obstacles like it was a flying broom, weaving in and out of bunnies crossing the road. Then..... something moving to my right caught my eye. In a flash, I glimpsed a coyote running alongside me for about a 100 yards! It turned its head with its tongue sticking out, and, maybe I'm crazy, but it looked like it was laughing at me. Then it veered off to the right and into the desert scrub.
Darkness enveloped us and I felt an awesome sense of freedom riding on this thing that is like a young colt underneath me. Quick twist of the throttle and it takes off with a throaty yell. Up and on the pegs and let it run underneath me, reminding me of the days when I would give the reins to my horse Shadow, stand in the stirrups, and let him go to his heart's content. Weight on one peg and it bends to that side; weight on the other peg and it bends to the other side. It's suspension is like a supple horse underneath me.
Under the moon we rode and part of me didn't want to stop.
I love this little bike. I may have to call him 'NightShadow' instead of 'Naughty Boy'. Fitting that he be named after my willing and noble black horse, Moonraker NightShadow, who was my best friend for almost 20 years until September of 2012.
Can a horse be reincarnated in a machine?
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